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Abstract:

An electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external vehicular
back mirror comprises a light-permeable reflective glass arranged inside
a back mirror casing, a liquid crystal display attached to the backside
of the light-permeable reflective glass, an infrared wide-angle camera, a
detector, a light-emitting device, and a control circuit electrically
connected to the abovementioned components. The camera, detector and
light-emitting device are arranged at the perimeter of the casing. When
the vehicle runs normally, the light-permeable reflective glass reflects
general pictures of the rear side. The liquid crystal display is
triggered by the direction light or a setting switch to present the
physical image of the rear side, whereby the driver can directly observe
the status of the rear side. Further, when the detector detects an
abnormality, the control circuit triggers flashes and sounds to warn the
driver. Thereby is eliminated the blind spot of the back mirror and
promoted driving safety.

Claims:

1. An electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external
vehicular back mirror, comprising a light-permeable reflective glass
arranged inside a casing on a left or right side of a vehicle; a liquid
crystal display attached to a backside of said light-permeable reflective
glass; a miniature infrared wide-angle camera; a detector; a first
light-emitting device; and a control circuit arranged inside said
vehicle, electrically connected to said liquid crystal display, said
camera, said detector and said first light-emitting device, and further
electrically connected to a setting switch and a direction light switch
originally installed in said vehicle, wherein said infrared wide-angle
camera, said detector and said first light-emitting device are arranged
at a perimeter of said casing, and wherein when said vehicle runs in a
normal state, said light-permeable reflective glass functions like a
conventional back mirror and reflects a picture of the rear side, and
wherein when said vehicle turns left or right, or when the driver turns
on said setting switch, said liquid crystal display, said infrared
wide-angle camera and said detector are turned on, and wherein said
light-permeable reflective glass presents a physical image of the
corresponding rear side to the driver, and wherein when said detector
detects that an object is approaching said vehicle abnormally and within
a given distance from said vehicle, said first light-emitting device is
triggered to flash.

2. The electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external
vehicular back mirror according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit
has a single-chip microprocessor electrically connected to said infrared
wide-angle camera and said detector; an output terminal of said
single-chip microprocessor is electrically connected to said liquid
crystal display and said first light-emitting device.

3. The electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external
vehicular back mirror according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit
is also electrically connected to a sound-emitting device and a second
light-emitting device; said sound-emitting device and said second
light-emitting device are arranged inside said vehicle; when said
detector detects that an object is approaching said vehicle abnormally
and within a given distance from said vehicle, said sound-emitting device
and said second light-emitting device respectively emit sounds and
flashes to warn the driver.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an electronic infrared wide-angle
and safety-promotion external vehicular back mirror, particularly to a
back mirror structure, which is triggered by a setting switch or the
direct light when the vehicle is driven straight ahead or turned
left/right to present the physical image of the rear side on LCD, and
which can detect an abnormality and warn the driver with flashes and
sounds, whereby is eliminated the blind spot of the back mirror, and
whereby is promoted driving safety.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] When a driver intends to turn left or right, he ordinarily observes
the status of the left or right rear side with the back mirror at the
left or right side of the vehicle in addition to switching on the left or
right direction light. However, the conventional back mirror has blind
spots and is hard to present the entire field of the rear side. Besides,
there is no back mirror functioning like a reverse radar in the market.
Thus, a driver must risk many dangers when he changes the driving lane.
In turning a vehicle, poor vision of the back mirror may cause a traffic
accident. Therefore, the conventional back mirror has room to improve.
Based on many years' experience in the related field, the Inventor has
been devoted to improving the back mirror structure and thus proposes the
present invention. The Inventor expects that the present invention can
outperform the conventional back mirror and promote driving safety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an
electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external vehicular
back mirror, which is triggered by a setting switch or the direct light
during driving a vehicle straight ahead or turning the direction of the
vehicle to present the physical image of the rear side on the LCD of the
back mirror, and which can detect abnormalities and warn the driver with
flashes or sounds, whereby is eliminated the blind spot of the back
mirror and promoted driving safety.

[0006] The electronic infrared wide-angle and safety-promotion external
vehicular back mirror of the present invention comprises a
light-permeable reflective glass arranged inside a back mirror casing, a
liquid crystal display attached to the backside of the light-permeable
reflective glass, an infrared wide-angle camera, a detector, a first
light-emitting device, and a control circuit electrically connected to
the abovementioned components. The infrared wide-angle camera, detector
and first light-emitting device are arranged at the perimeter of the
casing. When the vehicle runs in a normal state, the light-permeable
reflective glass functions like the conventional back mirror and reflects
general pictures of the rear side. When the vehicle turns left or right,
or when the driver turns on a setting switch in driving straight ahead,
the liquid crystal display, infrared wide-angle camera and detector are
turned on. The liquid crystal display presents the physical image of the
corresponding rear side on the light-permeable reflective glass, and the
driver can thus directly observe the status of the corresponding rear
side. Further, when the detector detects an abnormality, the control
circuit triggers flashes and sounds to warn the driver. Thereby is
eliminated the blind spot of the back mirror and promoted driving safety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a back mirror
according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view schematically showing a back
mirror according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the circuit of a
back mirror according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 4 is an assembly drawing of a back mirror according to one
embodiment of the present invention; and

[0011] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams schematically showing the operations
of a back mirror according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Refer to FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are respectively a
perspective view and a perspective exploded view schematically showing a
back mirror according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3
is a block diagram schematically showing the circuit of a back mirror
according to one embodiment of the present invention. The back mirror of
the present invention comprises a light-permeable reflective glass 11
arranged inside a back mirror casing 1, a liquid crystal display 12
attached to the backside of the light-permeable reflective glass 11, a
miniature infrared wide-angle camera 13, a detector 14 (such as an
infrared or ultrasonic detector), a first light-emitting device 15
containing light-emitting diodes respectively emitting different colors
of lights, and a control circuit 2 arranged at a control panel inside a
vehicle and electrically connected to the liquid crystal display 12,
infrared wide-angle camera 13, detector 14 and first light-emitting
device 15, wherein the infrared wide-angle camera 13, detector 14 and
first light-emitting device 15 are arranged at the perimeter of the
casing 1. In this embodiment, the infrared wide-angle camera 13, detector
14 and first light-emitting device 15 are all arranged at the upper edge
of the back mirror casing 1.

[0013] The control circuit 2 has a single-chip microprocessor 21, and a
control program is written into the single-chip microprocessor 21
beforehand. The single-chip microprocessor 21 is electrically connected
to the infrared wide-angle camera 13 and the detector 14 to receive image
signals and detection signals. The single-chip microprocessor 21 is also
electrically connected to the liquid crystal display 12 and the first
light-emitting device 15. The single-chip microprocessor 21 is further
electrically connected to a sound-emitting device 22 (such as a buzzer or
speaker) and a second light-emitting device 23 containing light-emitting
diodes respectively emitting different colors of lights. The
sound-emitting device 22 and second light-emitting device 23 are arranged
inside the vehicle. The control terminal of the single-chip
microprocessor 21 is electrically connected to a setting switch 24 and a
direction light switch 25, which is originally installed in the vehicle.

[0014] When the vehicle runs in a normal state, the liquid crystal display
12 neither works nor projects light to the backside of the
light-permeable reflective glass 11. Thus, the light-permeable reflective
glass 11 functions like the conventional back mirror and reflects the
picture of the rear side. When the vehicle turns left or right, or when
the driver turns on the setting switch 24 in driving the vehicle straight
ahead, the liquid crystal display 12, infrared wide-angle camera 13 and
detector 14 are turned on. When the liquid crystal display 12 is turned
on, the light thereof penetrates the light-permeable reflective glass 11
and presents the physical image of the corresponding rear side on the
light-permeable reflective glass 11, and the driver can thus directly
observe the status of the corresponding rear side. At the same time, the
detector 14 performs detection and sends a detection signal to the
single-chip microprocessor 21. When an object approaches the vehicle, the
single-chip microprocessor 21 receives and verifies the signal. If it is
an abnormal state, the single-chip microprocessor 21 triggers the first
light-emitting devices 15 to warn the external object and also triggers
the sound-emitting device 22 the second light-emitting device 23 to warn
the driver. Thus is promoted driving safety.

[0015] Refer to FIG. 4 an assembly drawing of a back mirror according to
one embodiment of the present invention. The control circuit 2 is
arranged inside a vehicle 3, and the cables of the components of the left
and right back mirrors of the present invention pass through the vehicle
body and electrically connect with the control circuit 2. Thereby, the
driver can control the components of the left and right back mirrors to
perform image-capture, detection and warning and observes the images of
the left and right rear sides from the left and right back mirrors.

[0016] Refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 diagrams schematically showing the
operations of a back mirror according to one embodiment of the present
invention, and refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 again. When the vehicle runs in
a normal state, the light-permeable reflective glass 11 functions like
the conventional back mirror and reflects the picture of the rear side.
When the vehicle turns left or right, or when the driver turns on the
setting switch 24 on the control panel in driving the vehicle straight
ahead, the liquid crystal display 12, infrared wide-angle camera 13 and
detector 14 are turned on. Then, the cameras 13 capture the images of the
corresponding rear sides, and the detectors 14 detect an object 4
approaching the vehicle. The liquid crystal displays 12 show the images
captured by the cameras 13, and the light of the images penetrates the
light-permeable reflective glasses 11. Thus, the physical images of the
rear sides are presented on the light-permeable reflective glasses 11,
and the driver can directly observe the status of the rear sides.
Thereby, the driver can judge the conditions more accurately.

[0017] At the same time, the detector 14 detects the movement of the
object 4 and sends a detection signal to the single-chip microprocessor
21. The single-chip microprocessor 21 receives and verifies the detection
signal. While the object 4 is approaching the vehicle abnormally and
within a given distance from the vehicle, the single-chip microprocessor
21 triggers the first light-emitting device 15 to flash to warn the
object 4 outside the vehicle. Simultaneously, the single-chip
microprocessor 21 also triggers the sound-emitting device 22 to generate
sounds (such as Bi-Bi sounds or music) and the second light-emitting
device 23 to flash to warn the driver and remind the driver to take a
necessary action. Thereby is promoted driving safety.

[0018] The embodiments described above are only to exemplify the present
invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. Any
equivalent modification or variation according to the spirit of the
present invention is to be also included within the scope of the present
invention.

[0019] In summary, the present invention proposes an electronic infrared
wide-angle and safety-promotion external vehicular back mirror, which has
a light-permeable reflective glass and a liquid crystal display triggered
by the direction light or a setting switch in turning the direction of a
vehicle or driving the vehicle straight ahead to present the status of
the rear side, and which can detect an abnormality and warn the driver
with flashes and sounds, whereby is promoted driving safety. Therefore,
the present invention possesses utility, novelty and non-obviousness and
meets the condition for a patent. Thus, the Inventor files the
application for a patent. It will be appreciated if the patent is
approved fast.